On the recordJune 15, 2010
Well, leadership is about action, not just political position, as I have said before. And we can win elections by taking comfortable votes and maneuver, but that's not real leadership. We come here to get things done. The American people want leadership. They want us to do things. They don't want us to just have a career. They want us to invest in the country. They want us to serve. They want us to do the right thing, do what we think is right, and move the country forward. You know, I think that at least our Democratic majority has attempted to reach across the aisle and pull people in and say, Give us some ideas. I have sponsored legislation with Members. Chris Lee from New York and I have sponsored an investment tax credit so that we can keep our research and development here in America instead of outsourcing it and giving folks an extra bonus if they manufacture their products in America. This is the type of leadership we're asking for. The HIRE Act that I reached across the aisle and worked on with Congressman Rooney from Florida, this just became a law. So we have good ideas, and we can share them together; but on the big issues that confound our Nation, we need their leadership as well as ours. A stiff arm is not the solution to any of these big problems our Nation is facing. So the question becomes, Are we going to invest in America? Are we going to invest in the working middle class and champion the values of the middle class here in legislation that we pass?
